About Stage 4 Lung Cancer
Non-small cell lung cancer is defined in stages. The stage of the cancer diagnosis tells the doctor and the patient how advanced the cancer is. Stage 4 lung cancer is the most advanced stage of non-small cell lung cancer. When cancer has reached stage 4 it can mean serious treatment is needed and the prognosis for survival is much lower than it is at earlier stages of the disease.
Diagnosis of any type of lung cancer can be done through several methods. It is not clear if screening is a good process for diagnosis, but some doctors still use it in hopes that it can catch cancer at earlier stages. Screening involves taking x-rays or scans to look for the presence of cancer in the lungs. Screening is usually only done in high risk patients, such as those who smoke.
Usually testing for lung cancer is not what reveals the disease. Lung cancer is most often diagnosed when a person gets a chest x-ray for an unrelated reason. However, in high risk people, if symptoms are present, testing may be done to see if lung cancer is present.
Tests include:
- Imaging
- Sputum cytology
- Biopsy
Once a diagnosis of lung cancer has been given, the doctor will then work to figure out what stage the cancer is at. Staging the cancer helps to figure out the course of treatment and give a prognosis or outlook to the patient about what to expect. Once a doctor can figure out what he is dealing with it is easier to start working to get rid of the cancer. More testing will be done to determine the stage of the cancer. This can include an MRI or PET scan.
The stages of non-small cell lung cancer include:
Stage 1 Lung Cancer: Cancer is present in the lung tissue and has not spread.
Stage 2 Lung Cancer: Cancer has spread to lymph nodes or the chest wall.
Stage 4 Lung Cancer: Stage 4 lung cancer is the most advanced stage. At this point the cancer has spread beyond the chest area and into other organs or areas, such as the bones or brain.
Outlook
If a person is diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer treatment must be aggressive. In almost every case the cancer is too far advanced for surgery to be an option. The treatment will not be localized, but rather whole body. Most often it is chemotherapy and sometimes radiation.
At stage 4 the importance of constant monitoring is important. Treatment must begin right away and the patient will likely have to undergo various testing to find out all the areas where the cancer has spread.
Other post you may be interested in reading: lung cancer staging
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